“Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. For this he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity,” reads the opening scene of Christopher Nolan’s biopic Oppenheimer.
That feels fitting considering the film is based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
For those unfamiliar with who Oppenheimer was—he was a theoretical physicist that led the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos and the “father of the atomic bomb.”
Like Prometheus, Oppenheimer gave humanity a weapon that changed the world forever, then proceeded to have a life of intense suffering. Even at the height of his popularity, his controversial politics and questionable morals made him the target of intense scrutiny.
The film is told in a non-linear structure through Oppenheimer’s hearing. Although he was never a member of the Communist Party, his connections from his youth come back to haunt him after suspicions arise about his loyalty toward the United States. The film asks us how can the man who helped build the bomb suddenly petition against it.
Was Oppenheimer a tortured genius or a man who got what he deserved? The truth lies somewhere in between. We see Oppenheimer womanize and get caught up in his praise, but we also watch as his past is held against him when he strays away from the project the military assigned him.
There have been a lot of could’ve, should’ve arguments proposed but the reality is that blood shed from the atomic bomb will forever be on his hands. The film never defends or attacks him, it simply asks the audience to view him from a human perspective. Was there a possibility that Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb could be the bomb to end all wars? We don’t know.
Cillian Murphy gave a powerhouse performance that allowed us to see Oppenheimer as what he really was—a man that created something that changed the world. His intense stares of horror allow us to peak into the moral dilemmas the real Oppenheimer might have experienced. He balances remorse and pride, carrying the film in a way only a remarkable actor can.
Another stand out performance was Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, the man behind Oppenheimer’s downfall. The hate was palpable and the plot twist of his betrayal was perfectly built up.
Prometheus knew that fire could be used for good or bad, but intentions are irrelevant once you access the damage it causes. The same can be said for Oppenheimer. Unlike most biopics, the movie strays away from romanticizing and instead asks the viewer to reflect on what was done, and what could possibly come next.
